Invasion of America

Chapter 143 American Traitor
When the 'Holy Light' reconnaissance team arrived in Famville, Major Fleming from the 'Richmond Guard' witnessed the 'Warthogs' landing one after another.

As a soldier, Fleming immediately realized the immense tactical value of the low-altitude, vertically descending 'Warthog'—it was more useful than any 'high-tech' weapon at the time.

In the apocalypse, the population plummets, and the value of weapons that require a systematic approach to function drops drastically.

For example, a supercarrier requires more than 2,000 crew members to operate before it can set sail, and it needs another 2,000 air combat personnel to be combat-ready.

In addition, naval base resupply and satellite navigation in space are also essential, and these systems require a large number of professionals.

For example, the F-35 stealth fighter or the Abrams tank are indeed powerful, but they also consume a lot of resources, and there are no enemies that they need to eliminate.

The problem is that we have plenty of equipment, but we lack manpower. Therefore, the simpler the equipment, the more practical it is, and weapons now need to emphasize cost-effectiveness.

Fleming quickly gathered the townspeople and asked, "Where did you get these low-altitude aircraft? These things must be quite rare."

When asked this question, the townspeople shook their heads and sighed, "That's not our equipment; it belongs to a force to the west called 'Holy Light.'"

It was a group of Asians, or more precisely, Chinese, banding together, led by a super-rich man named 'Victor,' who reportedly made ample preparations before the virus outbreak.

Several towns had previously joined forces to attack the group of Chinese, but the attack failed. Those captured were reportedly enslaved and subjected to severe mistreatment.

Fleming was greatly alarmed by this, and he was ordered to investigate the power in Avony. The good news was that the other side was indeed developing very well and had plenty of resources; the bad news was that the other side was ruthless and not to be trifled with.

He only brought a platoon, about twenty armed soldiers, with two military armored vehicles as their main equipment. This gave them an overwhelming military advantage against smaller forces.

However, if the opponent is strong enough, even with several bomb-laden drones...
The townspeople specifically warned, "'Holy Light' has a strong air force. Their 'warthogs' are modified and often fly around carrying machine guns or electro-optical pods."

Although our town has a Beechcraft that can fly, it is not very efficient due to fuel shortages, and it is not as good as other people's electric planes.

'Holy Light' also has a considerable number of small drones, at least hundreds, perhaps even thousands. After all, 'Victor' was a wealthy man in the past, so it's quite reasonable for him to purchase and stockpile a large number of drones.

At this point, the townspeople sighed and said, "We all know that your 'Richmond Guard' inherited a large amount of military equipment and is very powerful."

But what are you forcing us to do? If you're so capable, go and clash with 'Holy Light,' and see if you have more armored vehicles or their drones."

These words made Major Fleming's face darken. He knew very well that his three thousand-plus men were actually a 'paper tiger'—equipped but unable to use them effectively.

For example, in this operation, the platoon he led was equipped with two RG-33 armored vehicles. These large-displacement military vehicles have extremely high fuel consumption; once they are driven out, they can easily burn through hundreds of liters of fuel.

The Richmond Garrison controlled several military supply depots and had a decent amount of fuel, but they were also keenly aware that their own equipment was a real gas guzzler.

If he could, Fleming would also like to switch to a smaller displacement car, but while smaller displacement cars are more fuel-efficient, they offer less protection. In this era where "heroes are everywhere," nobody wants to be bombed and sent flying halfway through their journey.

But when facing drones, even large-displacement vehicles, heavy armor, and even tanks are helpless – the Russia-Ukraine war has proven that armored vehicles are like naked bodies when facing drones.

Fleming watched as the Warthogs took off and landed one at a time, with two others circling overhead as a watchful watch—this ensured that the militia in Famwi Town dared not cause any trouble and were all very well-behaved.

"If only we had this equipment."

The townspeople glanced sideways and chimed in, "Go ahead and rob them! The 'Holy Light' gang is just a hundred kilometers to the west. Drive your armored vehicles over there."

Those wretched yellow-skinned monkeys came here wanting a share of the electricity from the 'Stream Lake' hydroelectric power station. Kill them all, and everything will be yours.”

Provoked, Fleming glared at him and roared, "How do you know we can't? We are an army, an elite force, destined to rule all of Virginia."

Even without ground forces, we have enough aircraft and artillery to take down a bunch of yellow-skinned monkeys; it's not difficult at all.
-
At this moment, Marcos is negotiating with Mayor Ek of Famvi, and the two sides are trying to reach an agreement on 'electricity in exchange for supplies'.

But after sitting down to talk, the mayor's expression changed, and he angrily demanded:

“You want electricity? No problem. But you must respect human rights, first release all captured white slaves, and guarantee that you will never again commit such heinous crimes against humanity.”

Marco laughed when he heard this. "Don't try to blackmail us with words. Those white slaves were captured because they attacked us. Since they dared to attack us, they must pay the price."

What you can't get on the battlefield, don't expect to get at the negotiating table. We're not begging you for power, and we won't agree to any of your preconceived demands.

The mayor was furious. He glared at Congus, who was standing next to Marcus, and shouted, "This is America! You have to follow our rules. How can you practice slavery?"

Kang Ge's face twitched, and for a moment he didn't know what to say, so he remained silent.

This silence infuriated the mayor and his negotiators. One assistant glared at Congus and yelled, "You traitor! Helping these Chinese bully your own people, don't you feel ashamed?!"

Kangus's face flushed instantly, and he shouted, "Don't try to morally blackmail me. I deserve the life I have now. If you don't cooperate, you'll all become slaves sooner or later."

These words almost caused a fight between the two sides.

Seeing that pressure was having no effect, the mayor quickly laughed it off, "Let's not argue, let's talk about something practical."

The townspeople are deeply resentful of your "white slave" policy, which poses a significant obstacle to our cooperation. Could you possibly concede and release some of the prisoners?

Marco also laughed it off, "We're here to make a deal. It's not impossible for you to take prisoners, but you have to exchange something for them. For example, supply 20,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in exchange for one prisoner."

The mayor ignored this—the town already had a large enough population, and food rations were becoming increasingly strained. They were only interested in occupying the moral high ground; they didn't actually want prisoners of war.

Throughout the negotiations, two or three Warthogs circled over Famwi, making the town's residents extremely nervous.

During the midday break in negotiations, Mayor Ike cursed at the sky, "These bastards, just because they have airplanes, they're practically riding on our heads and shitting on us."

Previously, only the United States used airplanes to bully others; today, they're being bullied by a bunch of monkeys with airplanes. It's a humiliating disgrace, utterly hateful.

Major Fleming of the Richmond Guard appeared at the opportune moment, sneering, "You still want to cooperate with 'Holy Light'? You still want to trade electricity for supplies?"

Upon seeing the major, the town mayor became even more furious, stomping his foot and cursing, "If we don't cooperate with 'Holy Light,' are we supposed to cooperate with you?"
You're nothing but a bunch of warmongering military leaders. Can you eat bullets or drink diesel fuel? There are nearly a thousand people in my town, and we're going crazy eating potatoes every day.

Virginia is experiencing a drought this year, and the water level in Creek Lake Reservoir is dropping, resulting in insufficient potato production. When winter comes, who knows how many people will die.

Now we can only hope that the 'Holy Light' will provide food and save us. If we can't reach an agreement today, we can try again tomorrow; if we can't reach an agreement tomorrow, we can try again the day after. We'll eventually reach an agreement.

Major Fleming continued with a sneer, "You have no tomorrow or the day after, because I have already reported the situation of the 'Holy Light' forces."

Commander Borg took this very seriously and decided to use the reserves of military supplies to launch a large-scale offensive. Those yellow-skinned monkeys who don't surrender will only have their deaths. The same goes for you.”

The Richmond Police Force has always been arrogant and ruthless, plundering wherever they can with their force. If these guys really make up their minds, they can mobilize hundreds of vehicles, and there's really no one who can stop them.

The mayor's face turned ashen. After hesitating for a long time, he weakly said, "You...you can't do this."

Major Fleming then grinned maliciously, “No, we can. The strong can do anything and will not be punished.”

The mayor's face turned pleading.

When the threat worked, Major Fleming was extremely pleased with himself. He said no more, turned and walked away nonchalantly, past the metal fence of Famvi town, back to his convoy.

Two six-wheeled RG-33 armored vehicles were parked a few hundred meters outside the town, along with several retired Humvees for commuting.

This mobile platoon of about twenty men was equipped with two grenade launchers, eight heavy machine guns, and more than a dozen individual rocket launchers, plus decent armor protection.

Aside from lacking anti-aircraft weapons, this team's firepower is enough to overwhelm ten times more of an ordinary opponent.

Major Fleming returned to the convoy and looked at the sky again. Finally, he saw no more 'warthogs' circling overhead, and he was quite pleased with himself.

Major General Borg of the Richmond Guard has received intelligence about the Holy Light, which specifically emphasizes the group's wealthy background and the usefulness of the Warthogs.

The major general couldn't possibly be unaware of the benefits of taking down 'Holy Light'—it's a huge piece of meat, and whoever gets to eat it first will see a significant increase in strength.

'Holy Light' has airplanes, and so does the 'Guard Team'.

For example, a helicopter could be used to carry a group of special forces members to launch a surprise attack on the town where the 'Holy Light' is located, covering a distance of more than 200 kilometers.

Alternatively, artillery could be deployed to bombard 'Holy Light' personnel and bases from a distance of ten or twenty kilometers—professional armies have plenty of means of attack, and can take down any target as long as they pay some price.

As for who will be the 'prisoner', it will naturally be the residents of Famvi Town who will serve as cannon fodder. Let the townspeople drive ahead and draw the fire.
-
As afternoon approached, about two hundred meters from the armed convoy, a tiny 'Hummingbird' drone, no bigger than a palm, took off from Zhou Qingfeng's palm and flew toward Major Fleming's position.

This drone is small in size, quiet, weighs only 30 to 50 grams, and has a short flight time and short range, making it very suitable for individual use.

This device was originally intended for use by the US military in the Afghan War, and those who used it praised it highly. However, each one costs tens of thousands of dollars, making it more expensive than a small drone.

then
Then it was cracked by Huaqiangbei.

The 'Hummingbird' in Zhou Qingfeng's hands only costs 10,000 RMB, and that's the 'deluxe version' that was purchased at a higher price.

This small device is equipped with both infrared and optical cameras, as well as two obstacle avoidance lidars, and has a maximum remote control distance of 400 meters.

The little thing flew over with a 'buzzing' sound, and it was difficult to see with the naked eye from a distance of tens of meters. The sound of its rotor was also very small, and it could not be heard unless you paid attention.

It circled the convoy and took pictures, getting a clear picture of Fleming's entire platoon's deployment—only a third of the twenty-odd soldiers were on duty.

Another third were resting, and another third were having fun in town, not even there.

Marco's negotiation report came over the encrypted radio: "President, the people in town have put forward a bunch of conditions for cooperation, such as freeing white slaves and releasing prisoners."

Mayor Ike acted very tough, but he didn't stop us from leaving. The lunch was quite substantial, and he even brought us two bottles of wine.

From my observation, the drought this summer has dealt a significant blow to agriculture in the town, and many residents are worried about not having enough food reserves for winter.

The mayor himself has repeatedly mentioned that the Richmond Guard is supporting them, but I think it is likely just a bluff.

Because there is only so much food, and the winter will last for several months, and then it will be divided among other forces, people in the town will starve to death.

Just now, a town mayor's assistant came over and privately revealed some information.

The Richmond Guard will likely resort to force to seize any resources that are useful to them, including the Light and the hydroelectric power station in Famway.

The townspeople are at a loss and want to know what we think.

Marco was also somewhat worried.

The apocalypse is like a dark forest. The 'Holy Light' has moved from the shadows into the light and is already in danger. Once it attracts the attention of a stronger force, it is easily coveted and attacked.

"Old Ma, have Jiang Menglong prepare the 'swarm'," Zhou Qingfeng ordered over the radio.

"Now?" Marco was startled.

“Yes, right now.” Zhou Qingfeng continued, “After the ‘swarm’ takes off, it will fly east. We will activate the data link and transfer control to me.”

Marcos was currently staying in an apartment building in the town. He glanced back at the tall and strong Jiang Menglong and relayed Zhou Qingfeng's order: "Open the window and prepare to release the 'swarm'."

Jiang Menglong was carrying a large military green box on his back. When the box was opened, it contained fifty 'Hummingbird' drones.

Once powered on, these drones can be operated individually or collectively via data link using battlefield routing.

"Whom should we attack?" Jiang Menglong asked.

“It’s probably that armed convoy outside the town,” Marco thought, “but it’s somewhat dangerous.”

Meanwhile, several prominent figures in the town were either silent or pacing back and forth in their offices, at a loss for what to do.

The 'Holy Light' wants to cooperate, but they have a 'bad reputation' and are not 'one of us'.

The Richmond Guard is one of our own, but they have a worse reputation and don't care about our lives.

Ideally, these two families would fight to the death, both severely weakened, allowing the town's survivors to reap the benefits. But how can we get them to fight without hurting ourselves?
The town mayor and his men were looking worried when a middle-aged prostitute from the town suddenly ran over and lazily announced:
“A young Asian man asked me to tell you that he plans to take down the Richmond Police convoy outside of town.”

"Now? Outside our town?" The mayor was taken aback, his mind racing. "Isn't this forcing us to become traitors to the United States?"

(End of this chapter)